With the proliferation of communications devices has come a corresponding increase in the demand on communications networks. As user demand for internet protocol television (IPTV) and other streaming content increases, the demands put on communications networks also continues to increase.
For example, the delivery of an IPTV stream requires substantial network resources. Typically, the video stream is broken down into a series of packets and encoded. The video stream packets are then transferred to a user device, e.g., a personal computer, a mobile telephone, or the like. Once received, the packets are decoded, reassembled, and displayed as a video. Sending encoded video packets can require substantial network resources, such as, but not limited to, bandwidth, transfer rates, and the like. For example, the delivery of one stream of standard definition television (SDTV) requires the transfer of approximately 1.0-1.5 Megabits per second (Mbps) of data. The delivery of one stream of high definition television (HDTV) at 1080i (1,080 vertical lines, interlaced) requires the transfer of approximately 7.0-8.0 Mbps of data.
With the proliferation of streaming content delivery to mobile communications devices, the issue of bandwidth becomes even more complex. Regardless of bandwidth requirements, delivery of streaming content to mobile communications devices adds new layers of complexity to the already complex problem of streaming content delivery. Furthermore, delivery of streaming content to mobile communications devices requires substantial network resources since the network often supports multiple users, multiple streams, multiple programs, and multiple protocols at any given time. Furthermore, the desire for high-resolution videos and increased frame rates is resulting in high bandwidth requirements, even for mobile communications devices. For example, one possible exemplary format for transferring streamed video content to mobile communications devices delivers video at a resolution of 2048×1024 pixels, and at a frame rate of 15 frames per second (fps). This exemplary format requires a data transfer rate of around 20 Mbps. Another exemplary format for transferring streamed video content to mobile communications devices delivers video at a resolution of 352×288 pixels and at a frame rate of 30 fps. This exemplary format requires a data transfer rate of only around 2 Mbps. However, with multiple streams at any given time, the network resources required can still be significant. The demand for resources will only increase as more and more devices are used to access an ever-increasing amount of streaming content. As shown by the wide variation in file format bandwidth requirements, optimization of network delivery can require dynamic analysis of all data streams at any given time. However, increasing bandwidth enough to cover all possible issues may not be possible.
Some telecommunications networks also have the ability to broadcast streaming content, in addition to the ability of delivering an individual stream of content directly to a device. Moving a content stream from a packet portion of a network to a broadcast portion of the network is generally desirable since any content that can be broadcast can reduce the demand for point-to-point IP sessions on the packet side of the network. Reducing demand for packet-based services can increase the responsiveness of the packet side of the network when handling tasks that cannot be performed without the packet side of the network. Services that require the packet side of the network include, but are not limited to, email, web browsing, file transfer, and the like. Unfortunately, the space on the broadcast side of the network is often limited, so there is not an endless supply of broadcast space. Furthermore, not every device has the ability to receive and/or display broadcast streaming data signals. Therefore, the network operator or service provider typically chooses which channels to broadcast to compatible devices. Any channels that are not chosen for broadcast must be streamed to devices as point-to-point streams of packet data by the network. Devices that cannot receive and/or display broadcast data must also open point-to-point streaming data sessions, even for the programs that are broadcast at the same time.
While all the foregoing issues make network optimization a complex task, the issue of network optimization is complicated still further, and perhaps to a greater degree, by the mobility of mobile communications devices. As mobile devices come and leave service areas of nodes on a network, the requirements for nodes can change. If a node is, for example, a base station transceiver (BTS) on a cellular network, then the demand for streaming content can be substantial at any given time, and the demand in terms of load and content can vary from one moment to the next as devices come and go from a node's service area. The dynamic nature of demand load and content can become even more pronounced if a node services an area through which devices frequently pass.